MoD says 'in control'

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 September 1998, 10:34 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence (MoD) acknowledged this afternoon an attack by the Liberation Tigers on the Sri Lankan Army's (SLA) largest base complex that began around midnight.

However, contrary to earlier reports about heavy fighting until this morning in the Elephant Pass - Paranthan base complex, the MoD communiqué said that the situation has been brought under control.

"In the early hours of September 27 confrontation took place between LTTE terrorists and troops manning defences south of Paranthan in the Kilinochchi district. At present troops are in full control of the situation and clearing operations are in progress. Ground troops estimate over forty terrorists killed and a large number wounded during the confrontation. Nine soldiers were killed and 29 wounded due to the incident" said the MoD communiqué this afternoon.

However, independent reports indicated that a large force of Tigers had overrun more than a kilometre of SLA defences on the northern outskirts of the now abandoned Kilinochchi town in the early hours of the morning today.